Effects of bicarbonate/lactate dialysis solution on the inflammatory response of spontaneous peritonitis in rats undergoing chronic peritoneal dialysis.

Background: We evaluated the incidence of spontaneous peritonitis as well as the local inflammatory response and macroscopic changes in the peritoneum during the use of a bicarbonate/lactate-buffered (P) solution in comparison to conventional (D) solutions in rats on chronic peritoneal dialysis.
Methods: Sixty-three male Wistar rats were implanted with peritoneal catheters. After 7 days, the animals were randomly divided into 2 experimental groups (32 rats in D, 31 rats in P) and infused twice daily over the following 4 weeks.
Results: After 14 and 23 days, rats dialyzed with D had a higher peritonitis rate than those dialyzed with P. The median number of days until peritonitis occurred was 22 days for the rats in the D group and 29 days for the rats in the P group. Spontaneously infected rats dialyzed with the D solution had higher scores for adhesion formation.
Conclusions: In this animal model, dialysis with P delayed the time to the 1st infection, reduced the overall peritonitis rate and reduced peritonitis-associated peritoneal adhesion formation during chronic peritoneal dialysis.
(Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.)